Chester Zoo Youth Network
Our mission is preventing extinction, but we can’t do this alone! We’re committed to empowering 10 million people to live more sustainably by building skills and knowledge, giving them the confidence to take action for nature. Working with young people is vital to this mission.
Thanks to our funders, including The Westminster Foundation, we’re able to work with even more young people to remove barriers to accessing nature and conversation and allow us to bring diverse young voices into the conservation sector.
As part of this work, we’ve launched our first ever Chester Zoo Youth Network and events programme, with the aim to bring together passionate wildlife lovers, curious conservationists and young changemakers for a greener wilder future.
We’ll offer an exciting programme of inclusive, accessible and engaging events and experiences designed with young people in mind. We hope that these opportunities will allow like-minded people to meet and have fun, as well as share, inspire and build confidence to take action for nature, or even seek out conservation careers.
In collaboration with our Chester Zoo Youth Board and local youth groups, we’ve been developing a programme of in-person and online events, training and activities for young people aged 12-25 to get involved in at weekends, evenings and holidays.
What is the Chester Zoo Youth Network?
In collaboration with our Chester Zoo Youth Board and local youth groups, we’ve created a programme of events, training and activities for young people aged 12-25 to get involved in.
The network can offer you…
• Opportunities to meet like-minded people, have fun, share and inspire each other to make positive change.
• A programme of inclusive, accessible and engaging events and experiences designed with young people.
• Training and workshops to develop skills and build confidence to take action for nature, or seek out conservation careers.
• Sign up and keep up to date with the latest youth network news and upcoming events in a bi-monthly newsletter. The Youth Network is for young people aged 12-25 but due to national regulations you need to be at least 13 to sign up to this newsletter. If you’re 12, please ask someone over the age of 13 to sign up on your behalf.
2025 Youth Network Events
We have an exciting programme of inclusive, accessible and engaging events and experiences designed and delivered with young people in our network and Youth Board.
Join us for youth events at the zoo. Connect to nature, meet like-minded young people, find out about conservation careers and build the skills to take conservation action.
A huge thanks goes to The Westminster Foundation, our amazing funders that enable us to offer lots of free events and training.
- 25 January: Meet the conservation experts. From managing conservation projects around the world to taking conservation action in the UK, find out more with our experts. Free event. BOOK NOW
- 22 February: Phone nature photography. Connect to nature through photography and the Five Pathways to Nature Connection, supported by our digital & photography expert. Free event. BOOK NOW
- 8 March: Conservation careers. Find out about the diversity of conservation careers, meeting a range of different zoo staff and exploring a mini careers fair. Free event. BOOK NOW
- 26 April, 31 May, 28 June and 19 July: Level 3 Environmental Leadership course (16yrs+). Develop your leadership skills with a qualification in ‘Leading a project for positive change, Level 3’. This course is delivered over four Saturdays at Chester Zoo. Coming soon! Free event. BOOK NOW
- 9 August: UK Wildlife surveying skills at the Chester Zoo Nature Reserve. Develop your wildlife surveying and identification skills and with support from RECORD and our Wildlife Champions. Free event. Booking link coming soon.
- August & September (4 dates will be available): Wildlife Connections Festival planning group. Develop your project planning skills and get involved in designing the Youth Tent and programme of activity at the zoo’s Wildlife Connections Festival. Free event. Booking link coming soon.
- September: Youth Hub at our annual Wildlife Connections Festival at the Nature Reserve. Join us for our very own UK wildlife festival. Free event. Booking link coming soon.
- October: Youth Conservation Summit (18yrs+). The Youth Summit celebrates the action young people are taking across the UK conservation and community action space to protect wildlife and make positive change through talks, workshops and networking. Booking link coming soon.
Please note for events with mixed ages (e.g. 12 to 25 year olds together) under 16’s must be accompanied by an over 18 year old. Some events are for specific age ranges only (e.g. 16- 25 year olds or 14-17 year olds).
If you have any questions email us at youthnetwork@chesterzoo.org.
"On Saturday 3 August, we held our first ever youth social event. Our aim was to create a sense of community, so we were delighted to hear that the group felt inspired and more connected to the zoo’s mission. The experience included a special behind the scenes tour and the chance to meet some of our invertebrate experts to find out about our incredible conservation work to save species."
Lyndon, one of our Youth Board members who supported the social event.
Created with young people, for young people.
Accessible and inclusive, bringing youth voice into the conservation space, all while learning new skills.
If you'd like to keep up to date with the latest youth network news and upcoming events sign up to our Youth Network newsletter here. (The box below is for the main Chester Zoo newsletter).
The Youth Network is for young people aged 12-25 but due to national regulations you need to be at least 13 to sign up to this newsletter. If you’re 12, please ask someone over the age of 13 to sign up on your behalf.